The Training of Jackie Chan and Other Hong Kong Film Stars
by Jane Hallander

It wasn't from some wizened Chinese Kung Fu master who specialized in
"secret" techniques. Actually, all four of these actors, as well as other
film stars, learned their fighting techniques from a South Korean Hapkido
instructor -- himself a noted martial arts film star in Hong Kong.

The teacher's name is Jin Pal Kim, a high-ranking instructor under Hapkido
great Ji Han Jae. In the 1960's, kim was a member of South Korean President
Chung Hee Park's secret service defense force, and in 1966, Kim drew the
job of personal bodyguard for the United States President Lyndon B.
Johnson during the latter's visit to South Korea. In the early 1970's,
Kim moved to Hong Kong, opening a Hapkido school and pursuing an
acting career. Kim, who now resides in Westminster, California,
eventually starred in eight martial arts films, all produced by Hong
Kong's third largest film company, Kai Fa Productions.

Kim's high, precise kicking techniques drew a number of Hong Kong film
stars to his Kowloon Hapkido school. Until Bruce Lee exploded on the
screen, most Hong Kong movies featured the low-to-mid-range kicks of
Kung Fu. But Lee excited audiences with his high, jumping kicks,
creating a demand for more dynamic kicking techniques in Hong Kong
martial art movies.

"In those days, most Hong Kong martial arts movies contained only
traditional Chinese weapons and many animal hand techniques taken from
Kung Fu animal forms," Kim notes. "Their hand techniques were fast and
powerful enough, but something else was needed to make them more
realistic. Then Bruce Lee came along and made a name for himself
with high, flashy jump kicks that he learned from Tae Kwon Do stylist
Jhoon Rhee. The audiences liked Lee's high, powerful kicks so well
that the other actors had no choice but to learn Korean kicking
techniques."

Kim, who uses a combination of speed, mind and body to produce
relaxed, whip-like high kicks, also enjoyed instant success among
Hong Kong audiences. His high-kicking style was so popular that
he earned the nickname "Flying Tiger", a title that eventually
became the name of his Hapkido school.

According to Kim, most Kung Fu stylists do not pivot on their
stationary leg when kicking, making it difficult to kick high.
Although their low kicks are effective, they don't measure up on
screen to Lee's powerful, flashy techniques. Traditional Chinese
styles don't contain jumping or flying double or scissors kicks of the
variety made famous in later martial arts films by Jackie Chan and
Samo Hung.

Chan, Hung and Mao all got their starts in Chinese opera, a stylized
storybook combination of acrobatics, martial arts, singing, and acting.
Chan attracted public attention in the early 1970's with his martial
arts comedy Drunken Monkey. He began Hapkido training under Kim
soon after that film, and still attributes his only official
martial arts training to Kim.

"When Jackie first came to my school, his kicks were not very good,"
Kim recalls. "Most of his stunts involved rolling and gymnastic
techniques from Chinese opera. However, with his flexibility and
tumbling experience, Jackie quickly learned Hapkido."

Chan eventually earned a black belt in Hapkido, learning all
facets of the art and specialing in self defense kicking techniques.
He was especially partial to aerial maneuvers such as flying side and
back kicks, double front kicks, and flying scissors kicks.

Chan's favourite Hapkido technique is probably the kick known
as "eagle jumps and catches its prey." This technique is used
against an oncoming opponent, and the hapkido stylist first
jumps on the adversary's thigh, using it more or less as a
step ladder. From there, the Hapkido practitioner delivers either a
kick to the head or an axe kick takedown form atop the opponent's back.

Chan has even taught Hapkido to the 20 stunt men who work for him. Chan
demands realism in his movie fight scenes, and each of his stunt men are
skilled in kicking, joint locking, and throwing.

Today, Chan is the top box office attraction in Asia, thanks in large
part to his Hapkido training under Kim. "Even after he became
famous, Jackie was one of the hardest-working people I've met,"
Kim states. "He took his Hapkido seriously, practicing for
hours at a time."

Hung, known for his large size and innocent appearance, is a
talented director as well. He went to South Korea in 1973 to
study directly under Hapkido master Ji Han Jae when Hong Kong
audiences began calling for higher, flashier kicking techniques. When
Hung returned to Hong Kong, he continued to study under Kim.

"Samo Hung is incredibly flexible for such a big man," Kim
relates. "Like Jackie Chan, Hung's Chinese opera training gave him
flexibility. He had no trouble at all with any Hapkido kicks or
throwing techniques."

Hung's favourite kick, repeated many times throughout his films, is a
double front kick, a difficult jumping technique that employs both
legs in simultaneous front kicks. In addition to his new kicking
expertise, Hung has become skilled at Hapkido's throws and takedowns.

Angela Mao, who played Bruce Lee's sister in Enter the Dragon is
another of Kim's black belts. With tremendous acrobatic skill
due to her background in Chinese opera, Mao found spinning kicks
to her liking, and she trained with Kim for more than two years.

Hong Kong film start Carter Wong, who you may remember as the
villain in Big Trouble in Little China, also spent several years in
Kim's school. Unlike the others, Wong had studied Karate, and
although he could deliver side, front, and roundhouse kicks
effectively, he preferred hand techniques. According to Kim, one
advantage of Hapkido in terms of moviemaking is the fact that the
style also includes a variety of hand maneuvers that come across
well on film.

All of Kim's actor/students studied Korean weaponry and can utilize
single or double short sticks against an attacker. They can also
incorporate sticks with joint-locking techniques. Their short
stick training transitioned easily to the traditional Chinese
weapons used in Kung Fu films. For instance, the twisting
wrist action necessary for short stick uses applies well to
double broadswords or butterfly knives.

The next time you watch a Jackie Chan or Carter Wong kick the
daylights out of an opponent on film, notice how many of the
techniques bear a strong resemblance to Hapkido. It's all due to
their training with Jin Pal Kim.

About the author: Jane Hallander is a martial artist and freelance
photojournalist based in San Francisco.